This urban focus underestimates the Taliban and its strategy to leverage control of rural areas to launch attacks against urban centers. Continual attacks against urban centers delegitimize the Afghan government and force the redeployment Afghan National Security Forces. The LWJ classified districts in which the Taliban controls everything except the district center as “contested.” The Taliban self-assessed rural control (all but the district center) in 124 districts

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I don’t think about some platform that I have. I’m an individual. I live in this country. I have the right to say and think what I want. It’s got nothing to do with my position. If it helps someone think one way or another about something, great. But the discussion has to take place.

Obviously, race is the elephant in the room and we all understand that. Unless it is talked about constantly, it’s not going to get better. ‘Oh, they’re talking about that again. They pulled the race card again. Why do we have to talk about that?’ Well, because it’s uncomfortable. There has to be an uncomfortable element in the discourse for anything to change, whether it’s the LGBT movement, or women’s suffrage, race, it doesn’t matter. People have to be made to feel uncomfortable, and especially white people, because we’re comfortable. We still have no clue what being born white means. And if you read some of the recent literature, you realize there really is no such thing as whiteness. We kind of made it up. That’s not my original thought, but it’s true. NBA coach Greg Popovich.

304 - 227, no it wasn't the score of a NBA game. It was the final electoral college vote. Donald Trump 304, Hillary Clinton 227. So Coach, I would appreciate it if you acknowledge that you lost and your opponent enemies won.

Coach, Instead of focusing on white America, perhaps the African-American community is the group that needs to acknowledge the elephant in the room. What is the elephant? White racism? It's about time that you and other enablers talk about some uncomfortable topics.

Sperm donors who are non-existent fathers in their children's lives. Geez, I wonder how many NFL and NBA players are in this category?

Mothers who are children themselves having children?

An unaccountable and dysfunctional public school system?

Soft judicial system?

A welfare system that rewards irresponsible behavior?

When was the last time that NFL and the NBA pushed for young African-Americans to obtain High School diplomas? To avoid having children out of wedlock? Must have missed that PSA.

Coach if you want to have a national conversation, fine. But a dialogue is not you waving your finger at us and lecturing us on what we should think and/or feel.

September 27, 2011, Tony Bennett became the oldest living person to top the US album chart when the 85-year-old's 'Duets II' album went to No.1. The record, which featured collaborations with Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga, was also his first US No.1 in his 60 year career. The previous oldest performer to top the chart was Bob Dylan in 2009 with 'Together Through Life'. At the time he was 67-years old. via thisdayinmusic.com

The event is known locally as ‘Sopar a la fresca’ and city council estimates that nearly 20,000 people participate in the communal meal—a huge turnout considering the town itself only has a population of approximately 8,000 people. The annual dinner is part of a larger event that happens every September, a huge wine festival called the ‘Festa des Vermar’.

The expansion will more than double the number of places where cameras can issue violations on the city’s streets. This is Baltimore’s third attempt at running a speed camera system, after previous cameras were shut down amid accuracy concerns.

Robert Liberati, director of the city’s speed and red light camera system, said the expansion is in response to community demand.

“We have many more requests for speed and red light cameras than we’ll probably ever get to,” he said. “Every neighborhood wants one; every council person wants one.”